496 



TEE AGEICULT 



URAL JOURNAL. 



over the tree as in sketch No. 3 ; then 

 by pulling on each side of the sheet it 

 comes easily and swiftly round the tree 

 as in sketch No. 3. Mr. Walker's sketch 

 showed only one guy rope, set fairly 

 behind the pole and tree. 



No, 3 shows the position of the sheet 

 when hauled over by the guy ropes 



No. -i shows the sheet just before final 

 lowering by letting go halyards. 



The above plant could be worked by a 

 man and strong boy. 



Mr. Walker's letter drew the following 

 letter from " a regular subscriber" : — 



In your issue of the 9th instant I notice 

 a description of "A. Handy Cyaniding 

 Plant " as used by Mr. F. G. Walker, of 

 Sherwood Orangerie, Coomera. I admire 

 Mr. Walker for his generosity in making 

 known such a useful method to his 

 brother orchardists. At the same time, 1 

 trust he will pardon a few corrections and 

 accept a few suggestions from one who 

 has had considerable experience in the 

 method he has adopted for covering his 

 fruit trees. 



Mr. Walker evidently is not aware that 

 the method he is extolling was introduced 

 by the Department of Agriculture when 

 engaged in fumigating the orchard on 

 Buderim Mountain, the rough nature of 

 the ground there prohibiting the use of 

 the two-pole method. The one-pole 

 method was tried, with the result that 

 most of the trees on the mountain and 

 also on Blackall Range and at Woombye 

 were covered with the use of one pole 

 only. And it was from the department's 

 officers that Mr. J. Collins got his ideas of 

 the method when the department were 

 fumigating a few of the largest trees in 

 his father's orchard at Redland Bay. 



Mr. Walker apparently has not had 

 much experience in covering large trees, 

 judging from the length of pole he uses. 

 His sketch also is misleading, inasmuch 

 as it shows trees 20ft. high with a diameter 

 of only lOft. From experience I have 

 found orange trees generally to have a 

 diameter almost equal to their height. 

 The diameter of the scarlet mandarin 

 generally exceeds its height, while the 

 Emperor is generally the very opposite to 

 the iScarlet. To cover a tree 20ft. high 

 re(j[uire8 a pole at least 32ft. long. To 

 use a shorter pole only courts danger in 



break mg or otherwise damaging the tree. 

 And I have never known a tree of the 

 above dimensions treated with less than 

 four men. 



I strongly object to guy ropes or tackle 

 being made fast to the trunks of fruit 

 trees, unless they are thoroughly pro- 

 tected by bags or matting to prevent ring- 

 barking, as I have known trees to be com- 

 pletely ruined after being subjected to 

 the pressure of a large sheet. 



In conclusion, I may state that for 

 small orchards, or where trees are inac- 

 cessible, I advocate the one-pole method. 

 But in large well-laid orchards nothing 

 beats the two-pole method for both cheap- 

 ness and despatch, for in uncovering one 

 tree you cover the next in one act, which 

 is quite impossible with the oue-pole 

 method. 



Ihe foregoing letters were submitted to 

 Mr. Alex. Pardy, (iovernment Laboratory, 

 Durban, who has had considerable experi- 

 ence in cyaniding trees. He offers the 

 following observations : — 



The one-pole system recommended is 

 one which has been largely practised here ; 

 it is extremely suitable and expeditious 

 where the trees are moderately sized, 

 well pruned, and with soft exteriors, as 

 it entails less labour than the double-pole 

 method. For trees from, say, 12 to 20 feet 

 in height it is certainly the best way to 

 work the sheets, either with a bamboo or 

 standard stayed pole, but for trees with 

 old dead branches and thorns sticking out 

 beyond 'he leaves, such as are frequently 

 found in Natal, the two poles carry the 

 sheet better over the tree, and lessen the 

 chances of tearing the cloth. 



Of course a good deal depends on the 

 size and shape of the tree, the weight of 

 the sheet, and other circumstances ; for 

 broad trees, and broad and high ones, two 

 poles are preferable for lifting the heavy 

 weight of sail, and carrying it well over 

 the top of the tree. A single pole to do 

 this would have to be a very long and 

 strong one, so that in such cases I am in- 

 clined to favour the double poles, as they 

 are less cumbersome, and more easily 

 manipulated. Nevertheless, the one-pole 

 advocated can be used in the great 

 majority of cases, and it is only under 

 rare circumstances that it will not serve 

 the purpose. 



